Daily Archives: September 17, 2017

The Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin (GGG) fight delivered on almost every level this weekend. The only thing missing? A clear winner.

Many were outraged that judge Adalaide Byrd scored this split draw a 118-110 match for Alvarez. But aside from this controversy, fans were treated to quite a battle.

The fight was very close and hard to score. Both Alvarez and Golovkin put on an impressive display that left two of the three judges shaking their heads when deciding the winner.

One judge scored the match 115-113 in favor of Golovkin, another had it 114-114, and Byrd’s 118-110 score completed the split draw.

Many boxing analysts had the match either 114-114 or 115-113.

Alvarez thought that he won the fight. “I feel frustrated with the draw,” he said after the fight.

Golovkin also believed he took the bout. “I put pressure on every round,” said GGG.

The Kazakhstani is right in that he brought the pressure. And perhaps this is why many fans were rooting for him to win, before delivering a chorus of boos when the decision was announced. Alvarez left the ring to boos as he traveled to the locker room.

But Canelo also did a masterful job of making Golovkin miss and counter-punching him. Alvarez also rocked GGG at one point in the fight with a two-punch combination in the ninth round.

The different styles didn’t make the judges’ decision any easier. And this makes it little surprise why the fight ended in a draw.

Alvarez Completes Rise to the Top of Boxing

Born in Mexico, Canelo Alvarez hardly seemed like somebody who was destined for boxing stardom when he came to the US nine years ago. He drew more attention for his red hair and hard punches. And his feet seemed too slow for greatness.

But standing toe to toe with the unified middleweight champion shows that Alvarez has entered boxing’s elite.

The years of improving his defense, becoming lighter on his feet, and taking on top-ranked fighters (Floyd Mayweather Jr., Erislandy Lara, Austin Trout) have paid off.

But facing Golovkin – a fighter who’d won 18 consecutive title defenses – was perhaps the greatest challenge of Alvarez’s career.

Back and Forth Fight

The 27-year-old Alvarez started off fast, winning the early rounds thanks to his defense and quick counters. GGG, on the other hand, was more cautious and didn’t jab as hard.

However, Golovkin never stopped moving forward. And he was able to turn the tide in the fourth round thanks to his aggression. Alvarez moved back against the ropes and took some hard shots from his opponent.

This is a point when many of Golovkin’s previous opponents have given up. But Alvarez didn’t, and he continued to hang in during the middle rounds. By the eighth round, he was slipping many of GGG’s counters and delivering solid counters.

The ninth round was a fan favorite, as both fighters traded uppercuts in the opening minute. Golovkin appeared to have the edge, though, and won the ninth.

Alvarez came back again, as he threw a great two-punch counter that almost knocked Golovkin down. He mostly stayed away after this to take the 10th round.

The 27-year-old also won the 11th and 12th rounds on all three judges’ scorecards.

“This is terrible,” Golovkin said after hearing the scores. He was obviously disappointed after pressing on for most of the match. He was especially angry about Byrd’s 118-110 scorecard.

But what’s clear is that Alvarez did enough in the final three rounds to close the gap and make this a tough fight.

Rematch Coming

Both Golovkin and Alvarez are interested in a rematch. And the boxing world will get to see this rematch according to Sports Illustrated.

Here’s an excerpt from the report:

“Golden Boy Promotions’ Oscar De La Hoya says that Canelo Alvarez has a contractual immediate rematch clause and they intend to use it for another fight against Gennady Golovkin possibly in 2018.”

Alvarez made $5 million from the fight, while Golovkin earned $3 million. Both fighters would likely make much more through a second fight, especially if they share pay-per-view revenue.

Byrd Taken Off Big Fights After Controversial Scorecard

Bob Bennett, director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said that Adalaide Byrd will receive “a small break” from major fights.

“I’m not going to put her right back in,” Bennett told the LA Times. “She’ll still be in the business. But she needs to catch her breath.”

“I think she turned in her scorecard before the fight started,” Golovkin trainer Abel Sanchez said of her decision.

Judge Don Trella had the match 114-114, while Judge Dave Moretti scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Golovkin (37-0-1). Byrd gave five rounds to Alvarez that Moretti and Trella gave Golovkin.

“I had suspicions when they gave us the list of judges,” added Sanchez. “I think she needs to go back to school and learn how to judge a fight.”

Byrd’s Case Hails back to C.J. Ross

If history is any indication, Byrd won’t be ringside at a big fight any time soon.